The Good Shepherd, dated mid-3rd Century

The King has come.

The King, who came through a young, obedient girl. The King, who came under the care of a socially-scorned couple. The King, who came from the town of the old king, under the oppression of many evil kings. The King, who brought outcast shepherds and foreign powers to witness your birth and life. The King, for which  the very angels sang out in celebration upon the Earth. The King, who in very nature God, in communion with God and by the power of God, became lowly man.

The King, who would take in all that is God’s nation on Earth, and make it what it was to be. The King, who would show love to the unloved, justice to the oppressed, freedom to the captive, and hope to the hopeless.

The King, who would take on the sin of all humanity, so that we may be saved. The King, who on the Third Day rose again and defeated Death. The King, whose kingdom is now, but not yet. The King, whose new creation will herald renewed, complete, and everlasting communion with God.

The King, who will return soon.

Merry Christmas,

WK

Looking out the main window of the Chapel of the Holy Cross, Sedona, AZ

Out of all 4 of the skewed definitions, this is the one that is most firmly entrenched in Evangelicalism, I think. The idea that the atoning work of Christ is simple fire insurance is the greatest disservice to Christianity that we (in North America especially) have come up with. But what about it?

The atoning work of Christ has been thoroughly dialogued about throughout the centuries, by the greatest Christian thinkers in our history. By reading Genesis 3, we see that the fall affected our relationship with God, each other, and all of creation, which brought death into the game. Christ’s atonement is the focal point of Christian history, because it brought us reconciliation with God, each other, and all of creation.   Death was beaten and the Kingdom of God was victorious in the Cross. The amazing story that envelops Christians into the story that leads their lives.

And then a bunch of over-zealous preachers came along, threw out 1900 years of thought about the atonement and decided that Christianity’s number one goal was to get people out of Hell.  Out goes creation stewardship. Out goes loving your neighbour. Out goes an ever-deepening discipling by God.  That’s right, Christianity is now going through the Roman’s Road and saying the Sinner’s Prayer.  That’ll be just swell.

Does anyone else think this is absolutely freaking ridiculous?

Without even coming to a consensus with what Hell even is, to cheapen the atonement is to cheapen the whole of Christ’s incarnation. It angers me that thousands of people see only the shallowest puddle of what the Trinity is doing in each of our lives.

So what is the solution?  We have to start to looking at new ways to see evangelism. Maybe goes as far as putting a moratorium on Hell for awhile. I don’t know. Maybe it’s as simple as gagging certain preachers long enough to reboot the congregations into thinking for themselves.

Thinking for themselves? That’s the next Then and Now.

WK